Learn About Science: The Nature of Science

Who Can Learn Science?

Scientists study for years just to get ready to make their own discoveries. I’m sorry to say that this website won’t replace those years of study: we can’t turn you into a world-reknowned scientist. What we can do, though, is help you learn science well enough to understand what you read in the news or see in the classroom.

We won’t spend a lot of time talking about specific sciences — biology, chemistry, or physics. Instead, we’ll answer the question: What makes science different from other ways of thinking about the world?
The answer is simple: scientists use a process called scientific inquiry.

Scientific inquiry has just a few parts.

Ask a question about something unknown.

Make observations and inferences to get the answer.

Organize your thinking to convince yourself — and other people! — that your answer is right.

Although we can write this down like “step 1, step 2, step 3,” that’s not how it usually happens. Usually the steps kind of get mixed in with one another so they are all more or less happening at the same time.

In a strange way, science is just that simple, while at the same time being very complicated.

We’re here to help you understand the simplicity of science so you can

understand news of scientific discoveries,

make it easier to learn science in your classes,

or teach science to others.

Want to learn about science? You bring the curiosity and we’ll help you succeed!